Annual Report 2018
Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal
Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal
President of Fundação Getulio Vargas
A YEAR OF
CHALLENGES FOR
DEVELOPMENT
T
The year 2018 marks an interesting and challenging point in Brazilian his-
tory: after 30 years, the economic model that underpinned the social
democracy framework established with the 1988 Constitution appears
to be exhausting itself. The reasons are both internal and external. Internally,
the introduction of the Real from 1994 onwards and successive interventions
to control inflation, which brought it to a historically low level, were accom-
panied by rising unemployment to levels not previously observed. Externally,
the country has witnessed, in recent years, a decline in the added value of its
exports. Despite the size of its GDP, the country has a small percentage of
international trade.
Deep challenges lie ahead of Brazil so that it can develop both from the
standpoint of economic growth and from that of social justice. Willingness to
do it alone is not enough. It takes the ability to undertake. It means knowing
where to add value, in what and how to invest, what to stimulate, and what to
discourage. Discussions swarm all places, often based on lack of information
and a rational analysis of our real possibilities and priorities.
Willingness to do it
alone is not enough.
It takes the ability
to undertake. It
means knowing
where to add value,
There was a time when talking about planning fell into disuse. Later on, the
importance of planning was again mentioned, but the actual ability to do so
had been reduced. FGV, in its mission to stimulate Bra-
zilian socioeconomic development, has turned increas-
ingly in the last years to face the challenge of national
leverage. The year 2018 was especially fortunate in that
sense. We have been able to increase the quantity and
focus of our actions. We provide education for tens of
thousands of people and for millions on the Internet.
Our applied research, which is intended for the res-
olution of the practical problems of everyday life,
has increased its volume even more. Scientific rig-
or and ethics were essential pillars for this reality.
The year 2018, in addition to the two years
that preceded it, is part of the cycle of adjust-
ment to the new economic realities and prepa-
ration for the future. For our work, we reached
the position of the world's 6th best think tank,
according to the University of Pennsylvania's
in what and how
to invest, what to
stimulate, and what
to discourage.
Global Go To Think Thank Index. Once again, we also ranked first in the aca-
demic assessments of the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC). All this is the
result of permanent commitment to Brazil.
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Annual Report 2018
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTView entire presentation